


Shadow Weaver vs. Glimmer: Loss of Control and Without Power

by GettingGreyer



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Analysis, Character Analysis, Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Loss of Control, Meta, Season/Series 04
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:28:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23868277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GettingGreyer/pseuds/GettingGreyer
Summary: Shadow Weaver is a powerful villain not just because of any of her own strength, but because of her ability to cultivate and use the power of others. She's used and manipulated Micah, Adora, and Catra for her own gain and survival, relying on their abilities and preying on their weaknesses in order to get what she wants. And at the end of season three, she finds herself looking to Glimmer as a new source of power and she does a remarkable job of honing Glimmer's abilities in season four. But her relationship with Glimmer illustrates a fundamental shift because Shadow Weaver is unable to control Glimmer; she's different from the others in the way she continuously rejects Shadow Weaver. For the first time, Shadow Weaver is losing control and losing her own game and without a stable base of power—in the form of an adolescent she can manipulate and control—where will Shadow Weaver turn next?Post S4 Meta
Relationships: Glimmer & Shadow Weaver | Light Spinner (She-Ra)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	Shadow Weaver vs. Glimmer: Loss of Control and Without Power

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this essay originally on November 16th, 2019.

Shadow Weaver is a powerful villain not just because of any of her own strength, but because of her ability to cultivate and use the power of others. She's used and manipulated Micah, Adora, and Catra for her own gain and survival, relying on their abilities and preying on their weaknesses in order to get what she wants. And at the end of season three, she finds herself looking to Glimmer as a new source of power and she does a remarkable job of honing Glimmer's abilities in season four. But her relationship with Glimmer illustrates a fundamental shift because Shadow Weaver is unable to control Glimmer; she's different from the others in the way she continuously rejects Shadow Weaver. For the first time, Shadow Weaver is losing control and losing her own game and without a stable base of power—in the form of an adolescent she can manipulate and control—where will Shadow Weaver turn next?

Shadow Weaver first encounters Glimmer in the episode "No Princess Left Behind" and it is in that episode where Glimmer first enters Shadow Weaver's vision. Glimmer is successfully captured by Catra and Shadow Weaver seems to think little of Glimmer other than a tool to ensure a victory in the war. She mocks Glimmer and assures the princess that there will be no escape.

She underestimates Glimmer and in turn, she is taken by surprise when Glimmer proves to be more powerful than she thought the princess was capable of.

Shadow Weaver attempted to control Glimmer, but she underestimated her and she lost control of Glimmer when she broke free of Shadow Weaver's magical restraints. This moment is important for two reasons, firstly, it shows Shadow Weaver Glimmer's true potential and ability which I think is one of the reasons why Shadow Weaver would hone in on her in season three because Glimmer has proven herself to be powerful. And secondly, it foreshadows season four when Shadow Weaver attempts to control Glimmer emotionally and psychologically but she underestimates Glimmer and quickly loses control over her.

Shadow Weaver thought she could control Glimmer, because of her history of controlling and manipulating those like her. Shadow Weaver knows how to prey on insecurities in order to get what she wants: she preyed on Micah's desire to prove himself, she used Adora's "destiny" to control her, and she used affection to manipulate Catra.

So, throughout season four she preys on Glimmer's insecurities. Glimmer is stubborn and ambitious, she wants to be more powerful and more than anything she wants to end this war. Glimmer has always suffered through insecurities of being treated like a child, Queen Angella initially didn't allow Glimmer into the field and was overly protective of her.

And this season begins with Adora and Bow treating Glimmer like glass. They want her to have fun at her coronation and to not worry and during their mission to the Crimson Wastes, they withhold information from Glimmer.

As Queen, Glimmer feels more powerless than ever. She's unable to go out into the field and actually do something—a frustration we see as far back as in season one.

> Fighting is supposed to be dangerous! How are we going to hold our own against the Horde if we keep retreating? Pretty soon, we won’t have anything left to defend.   
> \- Glimmer, “The Sword Part 1″

And her title only causes more distance between her and her friends since she isn't able to go into the field. And despite being Queen, they still treat her at times like a child, or rather a friend to be protected but it feels like being a child to Glimmer.

Glimmer is made to feel powerless and Shadow Weaver offers her everything she needs. She acknowledges Glimmer's authority and talent and even gives her the resources and abilities to fight back against the Horde.

> **Shadow Weaver:** Your power is truly a sight to behold. It’s no wonder, you being Micah’s daughter. I’d never seen a sorcerer like him.
> 
> **Glimmer:** I get it. I’m the daughter of an angelic being and a powerful sorcerer, and I’ll never be as good as either of them. 
> 
> **Shadow Weaver:** That’s true. You’ll be better.

Shadow Weaver was molding herself to be the perfect adviser and she was molding Glimmer to be her perfect Queen. But she grossly miscalculated Glimmer. And it was slammed in her face. 

Glimmer was different in many ways from Micah, Adora, and Catra. She has many of the same insecurities, but she has the notable quality of actually having power and authority over Shadow Weaver. Shadow Weaver tried to manipulate herself into a position of power where Glimmer could be her queen and still be someone to manipulate and control. But it couldn't be both.

Shadow Weaver certainly brought out the more extreme and "darker" qualities in Glimmer, but she never controlled her. Shadow Weaver has consistently taken power from manipulating and preying on those more powerful, but simultaneously more vulnerable, than her. And for the first time, she isn't able to control that power.

Glimmer goes against Shadow Weaver and makes choices for herself. She ignores Shadow Weaver completely in regards to her objections to using the Heart of Etheria. And she withholds important information relating to her plans, such as the fact that she intentionally released Double Trouble to cause problems in the Horde in order to gain access to the Black Garnet.

Glimmer takes control away from Shadow Weaver, something that hasn't truly happened in a long time. And since Glimmer is now gone—captured on an enemy ship—and is no longer her source of power, then Shadow Weaver has two choices before her. She can find another source of power or she can change.

There are two potential sources of power I think she may seek out: Horde Prime or the Black Garnet. Horde Prime is a powerful and volatile entity, she may choose to align herself with him, but I doubt he will accept her aid. And after her failure to control Glimmer I doubt she will seek another new and unfamiliar source of power that has authority over her.

Instead, she'll return to something familiar and safe—as failure tends to make us seek something we already understand. She expressed some possessiveness over the Black Garnet when Glimmer offered it up to Scorpia, she still thinks of it as hers so she might attempt to manipulate Scorpia in order to regain control of the Black Garnet.

But will she be able to control it?

In season one we already saw that she was beginning to lose control over the Black Garnet and it began to reject her. And now that the runestone has found its princess it's even more unlikely to accept Shadow Weaver's control.

She lost control of Glimmer in season four and that theme will only escalate, if she attempts to control the Black Garnet or another volatile source of power then she will lose control again. And this time the effects will only be more disastrous. She's a parasite that consumes the powers of others, but the more she seeks power the more she becomes consumed by it. If she doesn't change, then she will likely be consumed and killed by the power she attempts to control.

And the finale of season four brought her an opportunity to change with the return King Micah, Shadow Weaver's first victim.

Shadow Weaver has aligned herself with the Rebellion, but she hasn't made any actual efforts to redeem herself or to make up for her past. She has yet to show regret or remorse for her past actions. She hasn't changed, regardless of her political alignment.

And in order for her to change, she needs to acknowledge the darkness in her past, apologize, and attempt to make amends. If she chooses to do this then Micah's arrival is the perfect opportunity. She could apologize to Micah and make genuine efforts for redemption by working to rescue Catra and Glimmer.

Shadow Weaver has remained a primarily static character in terms of personality, with only an environmental change, since her introduction in the first episode. But the flashbacks in season two episode "Light Spinner," show a different side of her. She still had a capacity for control and manipulation in her treatment towards Micah, which parallels her manipulation towards Adora and Glimmer (and Catra to a lesser extent).

But she also is shown to have an intense desire for the approval of others. She yearns for power, but she also wants to be accepted by others. She's hurt by the mistrust they show her and she's genuinely touched and pleased by the confidence Micah places in her.

The desire for acceptance never truly went away; she loves the genuine affection that an infant Adora shows her, because it represents a sort of unconditional love and trust that she's lacked—

—but after gaining her newfound power she began to reject the side of herself that yearned for other's acceptance and instead sought power for power's sake.

And while the episode "Light Spinner" indicated how this change occurred, it also hinted at the regret that Shadow Weaver may feel. Because her desire for power ultimately left her powerless and reliant on others; she preys on others' powers like a leech and without them, she is utterly powerless. By seeking out power she made herself weaker than ever before.

She pushed herself to extremes and failed to accomplish her original mission.

It's hard to say how much Shadow Weaver truly regrets her actions, even if the regret comes from a selfish desire, especially because of her unwillingness to change or acknowledge any wrongdoing. But the arrival of Micah will force her to acknowledge the past that she keeps hidden behind her mask.

And either this confrontation will lead to her feeling regret and seeking to change, or Micah's return will solidify her stagnation and she will become more self-involved in her obsession for power as she devolves into her base traits.

Glimmer represented a turning point for Shadow Weaver because Glimmer defeated Shadow Weaver at her own game through a reversal of power that left Shadow Weaver powerless and without control. And the return of Micah will mean a confrontation with her previous self, Light Spinner, which could either lead to her redemption (loosely defined in this context to mean "change" or "regret") or her destruction.

**Author's Note:**

> One thing that I find that sucks about meta essays is how I always forget some thoughts I have after the fact until someone points it out in a reply and I elaborate some more lol. I have so many thoughts on Shadow Weaver so I find that frequently happens with any meta I write about her.
> 
> Personally, I highly doubt she'll achieve any sort of redemption but I do think there is the possibility of it and that she'll be given the opportunity and she'll deny it. I'm definitely leaning to Shadow Weaver trying to take over the Black Garnet or something else and "losing control" to a more devastating effect.


End file.
